OKLAHOMA CITY (Aug. 29, 2018) – After a disappointing 2017 campaign, Oklahoma Christian men's soccer coach David Scott made major changes to his roster – 40 percent of the players on the Eagles' current roster weren't here last year.

Based on the Eagles' 3-12-2 finish last season, they finished at the bottom of the Heartland Conference's preseason poll for 2018, which didn't surprise Scott. But he's quietly confident that with all the new blood on his squad, the Eagles – who open their season Thursday at home against Southwest Baptist (Mo.) – will fare much better than outsiders expect.

"We're excited about the group coming in," Scott said. "Bringing in that many new players and having the team change that much, you're really unsure what exactly you're going to have. It's exciting but also a wait-and-see what we'll look like.

"I don't know that it's a culture change, but it's a fresh start with some new bodies and some new guys who can re-energize things. When you've had a couple of tough seasons, it starts to grind on the players that are here and it becomes hard to turn things around. It's nice to have a new, excited group come in to help with changing that."

Nowhere will the roster change be more evident than in the goal, where – for the first time in recent memory – the Eagles will have a completely new slate of goalkeepers. Freshman Frenchman Anthony Trabichet, who will start in the opener, posted an impressive resume in his native country (playing on a team that won a national championship). Sophomore Michael Young – who played for OC's junior varsity team in 2017 – and freshman Daniel Moos should provide solid backup.

"It was an area of emphasis for us after last year, when we were very inconsistent through the year," Scott said. "From my background as a (former) goalkeeper, that needs to be a position of leadership and I don't feel like we had that. Anthony has got a very impressive background and he brings a lot of qualities that we've been missing. He's aggressive coming off his line and controls the back line much better. He's vocal in organizing things and he's strong when he comes out."

There also will be a new look on the back line, with the losses of longtime stalwarts Tyler Buchanan to graduation and Clay Collier to injury. Garrett Blume, who was pressed into action in the midfield last season and led the Eagles with five goals, will return to his natural position of center back, where he'll be joined by sophomore Luke Humphrey, whose solid play earned him a spot in the starting lineup the latter half of last season.

Two other returnees, senior Vanja Hodovic and Stephen Tower, will man the outside back positions. Scott said more veteran defenders who have played limited minutes in the past – such as junior Matthew Tedford, senior Ignacio Barboza and sophomore Alex Faught – will need to step into larger roles.

Scott also is excited about the potential of freshman Jackson Shirkey and sophomore Christian Womack also could figure into the mix on the back line.

A key newcomer in the defensive midfield will be senior Zourab Tsopourachvili, a transfer from Ohio Valley (W.Va.), a team that reached the second round of last year's NCAA Division II tournament. Tsopurachvili should provide a physical presence and leadership in that portion of the field that the Eagles have missed since the departure of Taylor Vanderford after the 2016 season.

Joining Tsopourachvili in the defensive midfield will be returnee Jaiden van der Heijden, who showed flashes of brilliance last season. Scott said the pair has the ability to move forward and create up the field while also managing their defensive duties. Sophomore Landon Pope proved himself as a solid reserve last season.

In the attacking portion of the midfield, senior Matheus Mantovani returns for his second season. His ability to deliver precise passes on free kicks and corner kicks should be a big weapon for the Eagles (more on that later). Starting on the wings will be a pair of new players – junior-college transfer Diego Vazquez (who had six goals and five assists for the NJCAA's third-place team last season) and freshman D'Waylan McIntosh, considered one of Oklahoma's top recruits.

Others who should figure into the mix in the midfield will be sophomores Seth Vaz and Anthony Wittenberg and junior Jeremy Martinez – three returnees who (like their counterparts on the defensive line) will Scott said will need to rise to the occasion in larger roles. Sophomore Sebastian Capkovic, who started most of last year, will sit out this season due to injury.

Perhaps the most noticeable addition to the OC roster will be 6-foot-7 forward Thomas van der Meulen, a transfer from USAO who will become the tallest player in the program's 33-season history when he first takes the field. While van der Meulen's height alone should cause issues for defenses, Scott said the newcomer also is good with his feet and in combination with other players.

Scott also anticipates plenty of set-piece options for Mantovani, who in addition to van der Meulen will have targets standing 6-foot-3 (van der Heijden), 6-foot-2 (Blume) and – potentially – 6-foot-4 (Shirkey).

Also slotted to see time up front will be junior Vinicius Alves and freshman Jonah Basic, a second-generation OC player who's the son of former OC coach Adam Basic.

With only 24 healthy players on the roster, depth could be an issue, but Scott is hopeful it won't be as it has been in seasons past.

Although longtime rival Southern Nazarene isn't on OC's schedule this season for only the second time ever, the Eagles will host sister school Harding (Ark.) and will have a pair of nonconference road games at in-state foes Oklahoma Baptist and Northeastern State.

The Heartland portion of the schedule will be the same as the past two years – OC will face its three North Division opponents – Newman (Kan.), Midwestern State (Texas) and Rogers State – twice each and the league's other eight programs once apiece. The three division winners, along with the next three highest-finishing teams in the point standings, will qualify for the postseason tournament.